Iconic Baseball Stadiums

Major League Baseball is home to some of the greatest sports venues in the world. There are new stadiums with dazzling technology, crowd interactivity, and plenty of areas around the grounds to entertain kids and fans of all ages. The league is also home to many older buildings, some over 100 years old, where history is alive, and there are plaques commemorating a wide range of events, like at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium.

This article is all about the most iconic stadiums in baseball. We’ll look at ten of the best ballparks in the MLB and give an overview of each. We want to examine the amenities available, unique features that set a park apart, and the historical significance of some of these locations. We’ll also be discussing the dimensions of the playing field, how many fans may be in attendance, and when these legendary fields were opened.

Yankee Stadium

Location: Bronx, New York

Home Team: New York Yankees

Record Attendance: 50,960

Opened: April 2, 2009

The newest iteration of Yankee Stadium broke ground in 2006 and was opened in 2009 in the Bronx, New York. After decades of campaigning for a new stadium, a battle that had been fought by George Steinbrenner since the ‘80s, the taxpayer contributions were finally agreed upon, and construction began. The groundbreaking ceremony for the $2.3-billion facility was held on August 16, 2006, the 58th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s death.

The young stadium is located only a block from the original location, and efforts were made by the architects and designers to incorporate features of the old park.

For Example

An Indiana limestone exterior was used, which mirrors the materials used on the 1923 version of the building. Furthermore, the field dimensions are similar, and the same distance markers were used. However, the right field wall is five feet closer to home plate, on average, due to the modern scoreboard and right-field stands.

Yankee Stadium is loaded with memories of past teams and the history of the franchise. Between the exterior perimeter and the park’s interior area stands the “Great Hall.” On this concourse, fans will find tons of retail space, with banners of Yankee greats throughout history lining the walls. There’s also Monument Park, the area in which the plaques of players whose numbers have been retired and other various monuments rest. In the old stadium, this section was located behind the left-field wall, but this was shifted to center field in the new digs.

The New York Yankees Museum is another favorite attraction for attending fans. This area hosts numerous pieces of memorabilia from throughout the team’s history, including the “ball wall.” On this wall sits hundreds of autographed balls, all signed by past and present Yankee players. Statues of Don Larson and Yogi Berra can be found in the center of the museum as a celebration of Larson’s perfect game, which he recorded during the 1956 World Series. If you enjoy the rich history of Major League Baseball, you’ll definitely get a kick out of Yankee Stadium, where the game’s most historically successful franchise resides and appreciates their past.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 318 feet

Left Center – 399 feet

Center Field – 408 feet

Right Center – 385 feet

Right Field – 314 feet

Backstop – 52 feet 4 inches

Camden Yards

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Home Team: Baltimore Orioles

Record Attendance: 49,828

Opened: April 6, 1992

Orioles Park at Camden Yards was built in 1992. It’s a retro-style stadium whose architecture and design pays homage to the team’s and the city’s pasts. The complex was constructed in the footprint of the old Ohio Railroad’s Camden Station, in the heart of downtown Baltimore. It’s only a few blocks west of the Inner Harbor.

In right field, you’ll notice the B&O Warehouse. This building was constructed in 1899, so when the franchise was designing their new home, it was decided that the historic building would be incorporated into the stadium design rather than being demolished. Camden Yards was known for the perfect view spectators could take in of the city’s beautiful skyline, but following the construction of the Hilton Baltimore, many of the sights are now obstructed for most of the stands.

Another reputation Camden Yards gets is for its tremendous food.

In fact, Bleacher Report has the Orioles’ home ranked in the top spot when it comes to eating. Of all the restaurant options, Boog’s Barbecue is both the most sought-after and the most highly recommended. This former player’s restaurant will serve hungry patrons BBQ sandwiches and ribs that are apparently “to die for.”

The Baltimore Orioles’ stadium has been the location for numerous iconic moments in baseball legend. One of the most significant is when Cal Ripken Jr. broke the consecutive games played record in 1995. Precisely one year later, Eddie Murray hit his 500th home run at Camden as well. The park was also home to the highest-scoring game in more than a century when the Rangers beat Baltimore 30 to 3.

When you visit Camden Yards, be sure to check out Eutaw Street. The foot-traffic-only street runs between the stadium and the famous warehouse and provides excellent views of the game for those walking through. On Eutaw, you will find numerous shops and places to eat, including the previously-mentioned Boog’s Barbecue.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field Line – 333 feet

Left Center – 364 feet

Deep Left Center – 410 feet

Center Field – 400 feet

Right Center – 373 feet

Right Field Line – 318 feet

Wrigley Field

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Home Team: Chicago Cubs

Record Attendance: 47,101

Opened: April 23, 1914

Wrigley Field is located in Chicago’s North Side, where it’s the home of the Chicago Cubs. The stadium first opened in 1914, making it the second-oldest park in Major League Baseball, but the oldest in the National League. Nicknamed “The Friendly Confines” by Ernie Banks, a former Cubs shortstop, seeing a game at Wrigley Field is a bucket list item for any baseball enthusiast.

There are a few features that give Wrigley its specific charm. Perhaps the most recognized are the ivy-covered outfield walls and the hand-turned scoreboard. Underneath the ivy are brick walls, which had to be grandfathered in when a rule was passed that MLB outfield walls had to be padded. The argument was made that the ivy itself acts as padding, and thus, further renovations were not necessary.

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Another intriguing aspect of the Cubs’ stadium is the rooftop viewing that takes place on top of the townhouses located on Sheffield Avenue. During any game, the camera may pan to the roofs on the right-field line, where you will see tenants and fans camped out, watching the action from outside the park.

Wrigley Field is also unique in that it doesn’t have a jumbotron. Actually, the franchise has always been hesitant to introduce new technology to Wrigley, which may be why the Cubs were the last club in baseball to get floodlights installed to accommodate nighttime games.

Should you visit Wrigley, one iconic monument that you can’t miss is the entrance marquee. The classic art-deco-style marquee has a red base with “Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs” painted in large, white letters above the LED message board. If you truly want to step back in time to visit baseball’s glory years, Wrigley Field is the place for you!

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 355 feet

Left Center – 368 feet

Center Field – 400 feet

Right Center – 368 feet

Right Field – 353 feet

Backstop – 60 feet 6 inches

AT&T Park

Location: San Francisco, California

Home Team: San Francisco Giants

Record Attendance: 44,046

Opened: April 11, 2000

You can’t make a list of iconic baseball stadiums without including AT&T Park. Located in the South Beach area of San Francisco, California, the park is situated along the San Francisco Bay, where kayakers frequently congregate during games and patiently wait to paddle for any home run balls that fly over the right-field wall. When Barry Bonds was chasing the all-time home run record, McCovey Cove – which is what they call the area of the Bay adjacent to the stadium – was full of boaters hoping to get their hands on a piece of history.

AT&T Park is known as the most pitcher-friendly field in the National League. This is because the outfield walls are deeper than in many other stadiums, resulting in the fewest home runs per game in most seasons, which is a valuable fact to remember when betting on Giants home games. The right-field wall stands at 24 feet high in honor of Willie Mays, who wore number 24. Along the top of the outfield fences are four pillars on which rest some water cannons. At the end of the national anthem, when the Giants hit a home run, or when the home team wins, jets of water burst into the air from the cannons.

The scoreboard is located in center field. Just behind the board is a pier that fans may ferry into to gain entry into the park. “The Coca-Cola Fan Lot” is located behind the left-field bleachers. In this area stands an 80-foot Coke bottle with a slide and lights that activate whenever a Giants home run is hit. The slides deliver fans to various terraced levels on which they can watch the game. There’s also a giant old-school baseball glove made of steel and fiberglass out there.

While AT&T Park is already loaded with fan-friendly features and a stunning location on the water, they also put considerable effort into the fan experience. Since 2004, the stadium has housed 122 wireless internet access points, granting spectators high-speed internet access from anywhere in the park. They also built the @Cafe behind the centerfield bleachers, a café that serves coffee and presents various social media posts from fans on two large screens.

To commemorate Giants greats, there are a few memorials on the grounds. The San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame was unveiled as part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary. It celebrates 48 retired players who spent meaningful years with the club and performed at a high level. There are also six statues outside of the ballpark, one each for Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry, and a seal bobbing a baseball.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field Line – 339 feet

Left Field – 364 feet

Left Center Field – 404 feet

Center Field – 399 feet

Right Center Field – 421 feet

Right Field – 365 feet

Right Field Line – 309 feet

Fenway Park

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Home Team: Boston, Red Sox

Record Attendance: 47,627

Opened: April 20, 1912

The oldest stadium in all of Major League Baseball is Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox. With its Green Monster, Pesky’s Pole, and over a century of history on its grounds, you’d be hard-pressed to find a location more iconic than this one. It’s considered one of the most well-known venues in the world and is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fenway is probably best known for the Green Monster. That is the nickname given to the massive, green, left-field wall which stands at just over 37 feet high, roughly 310 – 315 feet from home plate. The club added seating on top of the wall in 2003. Another unique feature is the “lone red seat.” In the right-field bleachers, section 42, row 37, seat 21, sits a single red chair amongst all of the green chairs. This landmark represents where the 502-foot home run hit by Ted Williams in 1946 landed.

Pesky’s Pole is yet another historic landmark in the stadium. This is the name for the foul pole at the end of the right-field foul line. It was named after Johnny Pesky, a former Red Sox player and coach who was known to have hit a portion of his six home runs at Fenway around the pole without ever hitting it. Since 2006, there’s been a commemorative plaque at the pole’s base to tell the story of Pesky’s Pole.

Fenway Park has been host to ten World Series, five of which were won by Boston. The first took place in 1912, the league’s inaugural season, while the most recent came in 2013. Above the right grandstand hang eleven retired numbers honoring Red Sox legends, as well as Jackie Robinson. The players whose numbers have been retired are as follows:

#1 – Bobby Doerr

#4 – Joe Cronin

#6 – Johnny Pesky

#8 – Carl Yastrzemski

#9 – Ted Williams

#14 – Jim Rice

#26 – Wade Boggs

#27 – Carlton Fisk

#34 – David Ortiz

#45 – Pedro Martinez

#42 – Jackie Robinson

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 310 feet

Deep Left Center – 379 feet

Center Field – 389 feet 9 inches

Deep Right Center – 420 feet

Right Center – 380 feet

Right Field – 302 feet

Backstop – 60 feet

PNC Park

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Home Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Record Attendance: 40,889

Opened: March 31, 2001

PNC Park was built in 2001 as a new home for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This stadium is known for its incredible viewing experience, with no seat being more than 90 feet from the field. If its close proximity and tilted seating aren’t providing enough to look at, the park boasts gorgeous views of Pittsburgh’s skyline and sits along the Allegheny River, where fans may use the river walk to attend the game on foot.

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An interesting feature at PNC is that the home team’s dugout is on the third baseline rather than the first, so that the Pirates players may enjoy the skyline view instead of the visitors.

In 2006, an exhibition was added near the left-field entrance, celebrating Negro League Baseball and the teams that played in Pittsburgh in particular. The display honors seven players who competed for the city’s teams, including Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.

There are also statues located in various spots outside of the park which honor Pirates’ Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski. Wagner and Clemente’s statues had to be brought over from the now-defunct Three Rivers Stadium, while the others were built at the new location. Clemente’s statue includes dirt from the three fields he played on: Three Rivers, Forbes Field, and Santurce Field in Puerto Rico.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 325 feet

Left Center – 383 feet

Deep Left Center Field – 410 feet

Center Field – 399 feet

Right Center – 375 feet

Right Field – 320 feet

Backstop – 51 feet

Busch Stadium

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Home Team: St. Louis Cardinals

Record Attendance: 48,052

Opened: April 10, 2006

The Busch Stadium that the St. Lewis Cardinals currently play in is the third ballpark of its name. The newest iteration was built in 2006 and occupies a portion of the second stadium’s original footprint. The remaining area was used to create Ballpark Village, a commercial region adjacent to the grounds. Despite its young age, Busch Stadium III is widely regarded as one of the most iconic stadiums in baseball.

In their first season in the new ballpark, the St. Louis Cardinals advanced to the World Series. There, they met the Detroit Tigers, who they dispatched in only five games. The brand-new park was christened with a new championship banner almost immediately, which is to be somewhat expected of a franchise with eleven World Series rings.

The Cardinals’ home park is designed in the retro-classic style, meaning it highlights features like the downtown skyline, which can be seen nearly in its entirety from inside the arena, rather than being closed on all sides. Perhaps the most iconic aspect of the ballpark is the Gate 3 entrance. There, on the west side of the stadium, a replica of the Eads Bridge arcs over the entryway, while the Gateway Arch can be seen over center field.

Outside of the park, you’ll find numerous bronze statues dedicated to former St. Louis Cardinals greats. Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter, Rogers Hornsby, Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson, and Dizzy Dean all have statues around the grounds commemorating their contributions to the team. There are also honors for legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, the longtime radio guy for the team.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field — 336 feet

Left Center Field — 375 feet

Center Field — 400 feet

Right Center Field — 375 feet

Right Field — 335 feet

Kauffman Stadium

Location: Kansas City, Missouri

Home Team: Kansas City Royals

Record Attendance: 41,860

Opened: April 10, 1973

Kauffman Stadium was built in 1973 as a baseball-only facility for the Kansas City Royals. In a time when most cities were building cookie-cutter multi-function arenas, Kansas City built a snazzy modernist park explicitly made for baseball. It’s the sixth-oldest park in the majors, and one of only ten grounds that doesn’t have a corporate name. Instead, it’s named after Ewing Kauffman, the man who founded the Royals.

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Perhaps the most famous feature of the park is the fountains behind right field, called the “Water Spectacular.” The waterfall-like display is 322 feet high, making it the worlds biggest privately-funded fountain. While the waterfalls flow continuously, the fountains themselves are only active between innings and before or after games.

The stadium has hosted World Series games on four different occasions: 1980, 1985, 2014, and 2015. They’ve also used Kauffman for two All-Star games, in 1973 and 2012. The beloved ballpark was under renovations from 2007 to 2009, during which time $250 million in upgrades were made, including a new area for Hall of Fame Royals players and some additional amenities.

The Royals also added a high-definition scoreboard, which was the largest high-def LED display in the world at the time of its construction. They also added fountain terraces, a kids area, an outfield concourse, and a sports bar in right field. If you get the chance, you should see a game in Kansas City – trust us.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 330 feet

Left Center – 387 feet

Center Field – 410 feet

Right Center – 387 feet

Right Field – 330 feet

Backstop – 60 feet

Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Location: Anaheim, California

Home Team: Los Angeles Angels

Record Attendance: 65,158

Opened: April 19, 1966

April 1, 1998 (renovations)

Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, was originally built in 1966, making it the fourth-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Home to the Los Angeles Angels, the “Big A” is a modern-style park that can accommodate 45,477 fans during baseball games. The grounds have also been home to other franchises in the area such as the Los Angeles Rams.

The park’s most notable feature is the giant light-up halo. The Big A sign can be found towards the eastern boundary of the parking lot. The 230-foot-tall marquee is in the shape of a giant “A” with a halo wrapping around the top of the letter. When the Angels win a game, regardless of whether it’s at home or away, the massive halo lights up like a beacon, letting the locals know their team was victorious.

In 1996, The Walt Disney Company became the controlling owner of the team and began severe renovations on the park by April 1998. They installed outfield bleachers, replaced all of the multi-colored seats with a standard green chair, installed a display board, and redid the façade of the building. They also introduced two enormous Angels hats outside of the main entrance to the stadium.

Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 347 feet

Left Center – 390 feet

Center Field – 396 feet

Right Center – 370 feet

Right Center (shallow) – 365 feet

Right Field – 350 feet

Backstop – 60.5 feet

Miller Park

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Home Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Record Attendance: 46,218

Opened: April 6, 2001

Miller Park was built in 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it was one of the most extensive building projects in the state’s history. Home to the Brewers, the stadium features the only fan-shaped retractable roof. The entire process of closing or opening the roof only takes ten minutes. The club also grows natural grass indoors, using glass panes and heat lamps to keep the plants healthy year-round.

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One of the most popular features of Miller Park is the Johnsonville Sausage Race. In the middle of the sixth inning, mascots dressed as a bratwurst, Italian sausage, hot dog, chorizo, and Polish sausage all race around the bases in a ridiculous but funny act.

In addition to all of the sausages, the Brewers have a mascot named Bernie Brewer who sits in a clubhouse above the left-field seats during the game. When a home run is hit, he runs out of his place and slides into a platform shaped like home plate. He used to slide head-first into a vat of beer, but not since 2012.

The ballpark has several areas where fans can learn more about the team’s history and legendary players. At the Miller Park Walk of Fame, Hall of Fame players are remembered with a granite slab that’s shaped like home plate and displays their name, number, and signature. Then, there’s the Brewers Wall of Honor, where accomplished members of the franchise are recognized for their contributions to the club. There’s also the Selig Experience, an exhibit honoring Bud Selig, the ex-MLB commissioner who also owned the Milwaukee Brewers at one time.Playing Field Dimensions (distance from home plate):

Left Field – 344 feet

Left Center – 371 feet

Center Field – 400 feet

Right Center – 374 feet

Right Field – 345 feet

Backstop – 56 feet

The Wrap-Up

One of the exceptional aspects of baseball is that their stadiums vary from city to city. The relaxed restrictions regarding the dimensions of the outfield allow for architects and designers to get creative and build something the local fans will really enjoy. With waterfalls, fountains, running sausages, and water slides, these ballparks are equipped to ensure there won’t be boredom at the game.

Beyond all of the fancy amenities, several of the stadiums in Major League Baseball are legitimate pieces of history. Places like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park have been around since the early 1900s and have become an integral part of baseball legend ever since. They’ve been home to some of the most influential players and hosted some of the most iconic moments. If you’re interested in history, these are the parks for you.

Increasing attendance is always of concern to team owners. Clubs are now competing with home surround sound and ultra-high-definition in people’s living rooms, meaning they have to go above and beyond to get fans to leave the house. While these stadiums in this article are already meaningful destinations around the league, expect continuous renovations and new buildings while the industry scrambles to maximize the in-stadium experience. Who knows? Maybe even more ballparks will become iconic before long.

Remember, if you do enjoy betting on baseball, the park plays a significant role in the outcome of the game. We’ve written helpful guides regarding betting on MLB games, and park factors are included in almost every one. With the various dimensions and distances, we can’t stress enough how vital this info is. No matter how new or old or historically relevant a stadium may be, one team will always be given an advantage; you just need to know whether it will be the hitters or pitchers.